Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits

posted by divas can cook on Feb 19, 2023 8 comments »

5 from 5 ratings

“Tender buttermilk cheese biscuits made from scratch! An easy biscuit recipe that just melts in your mouth!”

Watch me make these buttermilk cheese biscuits from start to finish!

Last week I wanted to call my Grandma Barb and ask if she’s ever added shredded cheese to her biscuit recipe. It feels so strange not calling her with random recipe questions.

I was in the mood for a regular buttermilk biscuit similar in taste to a cheddar drop biscuit but without the savoriness of garlic powder and parsley, if that makes sense. Just a basic buttermilk biscuit with cheese.

I knew exactly what she’d say if she hadn’t tried it; “Well…no, but you can. I don’t see why you couldn’t”

She always encouraged me to try swapping out or adding ingredients, combining recipes, and just playing around in the kitchen and seeing how it turned out. It’s how you learn, after all, right?

So I got into the kitchen and did just that! Gathered a few of her biscuit recipes, did some swapping, and out came the most tender buttermilk cheese biscuits I’ve ever had! Since then, I’ve made them three times and they are just incredible every time!

I know that if I told her about the results, she’d do her proud smile with her eyebrows raised and say, “oh yeah?”

Thanks for coming to the rescue yet again, mama!

What I love about these buttermilk cheese biscuits

These cheese biscuits are so good and I just adore their rusticness! They are actually mild in flavor despite having rich ingredients like cream cheese, egg yolk, and buttermilk!

I don’t normally add egg yolks or cream of tartar to my biscuits, but oh man, did it make them so melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

What to serve with cheese biscuits

Serve these delicious biscuits plain, stuffed with eggs and bacon, smothered in sausage gravy, or alongside a fried chicken dinner. Yum!

The best cheese for buttermilk cheese biscuits

I’ve only made these cheese biscuits with sharp cheddar cheese and a triple cheddar cheese blend. I prefer the sharp cheese, and my kids and hubby prefer the triple cheese blend.

The cheese imparts a very mild flavor, so I’m sure you could get away with using your favorite. I’d be curious how these taste with pepper jack.

Just be sure to use freshly shredded cheese for the best result! Certain brands of pre-shredded cheese kind from the grocery store don’t melt down the same.

I also like to use the small holes on the cheese grater so the cheese is super fine. This ensures that the biscuits are full of cheese throughout!

Tip for making the BEST cheese biscuits

Cold ingredients: The BEST biscuits start with super cold ingredients! I stick EVERYTHING in the fridge, even the flour! I usually put my butter in the freezer as well. You want the ingredients cold so that they go into the oven cold. This creates a super tender biscuit.

Wet dough: Having your dough sightly wet will yield a biscuit that is so fluffy and practically melt-in-your-mouth. When kneading, use JUST enough flour to make the dough easy to handle. This takes practice, but once you make biscuits a few times, you’ll know the look of a dough that will create amazing biscuits!

Don’t twist the cutter: When cutting out the biscuit, use a sharp cutter and drive it straight into the dough. Twisting the cutter can seal the biscuits and make them flat. Boo.

Top rack: Occasionally, I’ll come across biscuit recipes that just don’t brown as well in my oven on the middle rack. I’ve found the top rack is the perfect position to create glorious, golden brown biscuits. Also, brushing the tops with a little milk also helps!

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE: Some people can crank out perfect biscuits their very first time and thereafter. I was not one of those people. It took me a minute to learn how the dough should look and how gentle I needed to be. This can’t be taught from reading; you really have to jump and try it! You got this!

What you need to make cheese biscuits

INGREDIENTS

All-purpose flour
baking powder
salt
cream of tartar
granulated sugar
salted butter, cold
butter-flavored shortening, cold and cut into pieces
cream cheese, cold and cut into pieces
finely shredded cheddar cheese, cold
egg yolk
whole milk, cold
buttermilk, cold

How to make cheese biscuits from scratch

INSTRUCTIONS

Raise the oven rack to the top position and preheat the oven to 450. F.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and sugar really well. (You can sift it if you’d like)
Grate in the cold butter, occasionally tossing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon so the butter pieces don’t all clump together.
Add the shortening and cream cheese.
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter, shortening, and cream cheese until it resembles crumbs. (Be sure to really cut in the cream cheese, or you’ll have flecks of cream cheese in the finished biscuits)
Stir in the shredded cheese until evenly distributed.
In a separate small bowl, combine egg yolk, buttermilk, and whole milk.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture and gently stir until a dough forms. (Be gentle here, and do not overwork the dough. The dough will and should be slightly wet. Add more milk by the teaspoon if needed)
Flour your work surface and place the dough onto the lightly floured surface.
Flour your hands and gently begin to knead the dough; add more flour sparingly as needed.
Pat or gently roll the dough into a rectangle and fold it into thirds (like folding a letter), turn 90 degrees, and repeat twice. (This will create layers in the biscuit)
Finally, roll out the dough to a 1-inch thick rectangle.
Flour a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and cut out ten biscuits. (You’ll need to reroll the dough to get the last three biscuits.
Place on a small baking sheet with sides touching (I like to use two round cake non-stick cake pans. You can place parchment paper in the pan if desired to prevent the bottoms from sticking )
Brush the tops lightly with milk to help with browning.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden on the top (You can broil on low for the last minute to get the top darker but keep an eye on it as it will darken very quickly)
Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter. Once the butter has absorbed, brush it one more time, being sure to get the sides as well.
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.

FAQs

Can I use Bisquick to replace the dry ingredients? I’ve never tried this swamp so I’m not certain.

Can I make these biscuits savory like Red Lobster? Yes, you can add garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and black pepper to the batter to make it savory. Brush with melted garlic butter and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

What doesn’t this recipe has baking soda? Since we are using cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt, baking soda isn’t needed.

How do I reheat leftover biscuits? You can wrap them in a paper towel and reheat them n the microwave.

Happy Biscuit Making!!

Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits

5 from 5 ratings

"Tender buttermilk cheese biscuits made from scratch! An easy biscuit recipe that just melts in your mouth!"

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 14

Servings: 10 people

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

2 cups All-purpose flour (spoon it into the measuring cup), (you'll need more for flouring your work surface)
4 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup salted butter, cold , (plus more for brushing finished biscuits)
½ cup butter-flavored shortening, cold and cut into small pieces
2 oz cream cheese, cold and cut into small pieces
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk
¼ cup buttermilk, cold
½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, cold , (plus more for brushing tops of biscuit dough)

Instructions

Raise the oven rack to the top position and preheat the oven to 450. F.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and sugar really well. (You can sift it if you'd like)
2 cups All-purpose flour (spoon it into the measuring cup), 4 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Grate in the cold butter, occasionally tossing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, so the butter pieces don't all clump together.
¼ cup salted butter, cold
Add the shortening and cream cheese.
2 oz cream cheese, cold and cut into small pieces, ½ cup butter-flavored shortening, cold and cut into small pieces
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter, shortening, and cream cheese until it resembles crumbs. (Be sure to really cut in the cream cheese, or you'll have flecks of cream cheese in the finished biscuits)
Stir in the shredded cheese until evenly distributed.
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
In a separate small bowl, combine egg yolk, buttermilk, and whole milk.
1 egg yolk, ¼ cup buttermilk, cold, ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, cold
Add egg mixture to flour mixture and gently stir until a dough forms. (Be gentle here, and do not overwork the dough. The dough will and should be slightly wet. Add more milk by the teaspoon if needed)
Flour your work surface and place the dough onto the lightly floured surface.
Flour your hands and gently begin to knead the dough; add more flour sparingly as needed.
Pat or gently roll the dough into a rectangle and fold it into thirds (like folding a letter), turn 90 degrees, and repeat twice. (This will create layers in the biscuit)
Finally, roll out the dough to a 1-inch thick rectangle.
Flour a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter and cut out ten biscuits. (You'll need to reroll the dough to get the last three biscuits.
Place on a small baking sheet with sides touching (I like to use two round cake non-stick cake pans. You can place parchment paper in the pan if desired to prevent the bottoms from sticking )
Brush the tops lightly with milk to help with browning.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden on the top (You can broil on low for the last minute to get the top darker if desired but keep an eye on it as it will darken very quickly)
Remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter. Once the butter has absorbed, brush it one more time, being sure to get the sides as well.
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.